what's the harm

[sadworld]

i have things for sale on the internet and people are constatly wanting "all my detailed information" so they can "get payment out as soon as possible".... things like that and broken english are a dead giveaway that it's a scam... but let's say i wanted to call one of these scums out and say ok, send me a check. id have to give them my address just like i would to someone i thought was legit.... what could they do with my address? i don't understand the scam although i'm sure it is one.... i would apparently have the money before i send out merchandise... got a clue for me? thanks. matt.

[ermghoti II]

The fake check will clear, because banks are too lazy to do their job. You ship the gear (and the partial cash refund for the immense overage the scammer invariably writes the check for). A couple weeks later, your bank calls up. "Hey, funny thing, that check for $10000, it's actually fake, now that we go around to verifying it. You would happen to have $10000 lying around, would you?"

Scammer now has your cash and item(s), and you owe the bank $10000 + various confiscatory fees, until you get lawyers to straighten everything out. Your scammer lives in Nigeria, and is untouchable by any functioning law enforcement agency.

[Chuck Carter]

i have things for sale on the internet and people are constatly wanting "all my detailed information" so they can "get payment out as soon as possible".... things like that and broken english are a dead giveaway that it's a scam... but let's say i wanted to call one of these scums out and say ok, send me a check. id have to give them my address just like i would to someone i thought was legit.... what could they do with my address? i don't understand the scam although i'm sure it is one.... i would apparently have the money before i send out merchandise... got a clue for me? thanks. matt.

Matt, If you sell on e-bay, the buyer must go through PayPal or use a credit card company which will protect you the seller. You should be careful of personal checks especially from foreighners. The buyer will not receive your address from PayPal or your telephone number. Let me explain why this is important.
We have been battling an entrepreneuring young lady since 2001 for bad credit scams, unpaid loans, credit card purchases all because all she had was our address and telephone number - nothing else. Here is how the Police say it works. She has only our address and phone number ok. With this in hand she goes to a bank to open a new account and tells them that my address and telephone are hers since she just moved in and I'm moving out. The bank doesn't check on this and so gives her new accounts to play with. she then charges items, writes bad checks, and never makes a payment - not one. The collection agency goes after the last known address and phone number - yours bud - not the person who scammed them even if the name on the address and phone number are different than hers. You'll even get mail with her name on your address.
Here is the best part. The bank will not give out her personal info like social security number or alternate address to you because she has rights under privacy protection laws even though she commits fraud! So back tracking her to stop this scam is next to impossible. That is why you don't give it out.